


Tea, Friends, Worries, and Photographs

by intern_at_german_chapterhouse



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Background Wolfstar, Canon Compliant, Canonical Character Death, Comfort/Angst, First War with Voldemort, Lily needs a hug, Marlene McKinnon & Lily Evans friendship, Marlene needs a hug, One Shot, Pre-Canon, Short One Shot, Tea, They're all going to die..., jily
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-14 03:47:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29164431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/intern_at_german_chapterhouse/pseuds/intern_at_german_chapterhouse
Summary: Marlene and Lily drink some tea and talk. About the war, the future and Harry's birthday.Hoping they'll get a break from fighting to celebrate the birthday coming up in just three weeks.
Relationships: James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Marlene McKinnon & Lily Evans Potter
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	Tea, Friends, Worries, and Photographs

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer:  
> I do not own any of these characters. Unfortunately, they belong to JKR.
> 
> I do not support JKR or her horrible "views" on gender or sexuality. Anyone who does should feel free to read something else.

Marlene took the steaming cups of tea from the kitchen into the next room where Lily was waiting for her, little Harry in her lap.  
The boy reached out his hands as if to take one of the mugs from her and Marlene smiled down at him.

"Those eyes, Lily, they look just like yours!" She gave her her tea and sat down in the second armchair.  
Lily's previously tired face turned bright and happy as she smiled down at her son.  
"Yes, but the rest seems to be all James," she said as she brushed one hand through Harry's black hair and down over the dark skin on his cheek. He leaned into the touch mumbling a soft "Momma" that made them both smile.

While Marlene took a few sips of her tea, the silence in their little room was suddenly filled with the noise from the room next door.  
Dumbledore's voice sounded through the wooden door and Marlene watched Lily's face fall again.

It made her heart ache.  
She shouldn't have to be this worried.  
Neither of them should have to think about war.

But they did. They always did.  
There were almost no breaks from the war. Between missions and reports of dead friends and allies, there were no breaks to sit down for tea and just forget about the rest.  
Even if there was nothing they wanted more.

James and Sirius could be heard arguing, Remus trying to talk them down.  
It was always the same.  
Marlene didn't even want to think about the horrible news Dumbledore must have brought to the Order safe house.  
She wanted to enjoy a few minutes with one of her best friends, wanted to concentrate on the cute baby boy on Lily's lap, wanted to talk about his birthday that was coming up at the end of the month.  
She wanted to talk about the future and their plans, something they hadn't talked about in years. Not since Hogwarts, when they still thought they'd have any opportunity to figure out their future after school.  
Before they'd realised they'd be caught up in a bloody war for years.

Lily seemed to have a similar train of thought. She looked up from her tea, set the mug down on the table between them and turned to Marlene.  
"I just want it to be over, Marls."  
Marlene bit on her lower lip to stop it from quivering. She managed a slow nod.  
"It will, Lily. It will."

"It has to."  
Marlene put her tea down too.  
"For Harry. I don't want him to grow up with this," Lily gestured to the yelling coming from the room next door.  
Emmeline seemed to be fighting with one of the Prewett twins.

"We just have to keep fighting for him, Lils. And we will," Marlene put her hand on the one Lily had on Harry's back.  
The boy had turned around in her arm, pressing his face to her shoulder and clutching tightly to her blouse.

"But let's focus on the nearer future, alright?" Surprising herself, Marlene managed a smile that did not feel as wrong as she should it might have.  
Lily almost smiled back at her. "Like what?"  
"Harry's birthday of course!" At the mention of his name, the boy slightly stirred din Lily's arms but he seemed too tired to turn to Marlene. "Do you have a plan for the day?"  
"Well, we thought," Lily said, a small smile on her lips, "maybe we'd have some of you over for lunch? Sirius and Remus, Peter, you and Mary. Just... us."  
The thought of them hanging out together again as they had done a hundred times at Hogwarts made Marlene smile again.

"Yeah? A real party for his first birthday, huh?"  
Lily nodded and added: "Yes, and next year we'll have a bigger one, and then in a few years he'll bring all of his friends too. And maybe some of you guys might bring your kids as well," at Marlene's sceptical look, she quickly continued talking, "okay, maybe Mary will. Or Pete finds himself a nice girl."  
"Oh, I can't wait!" Marlene laughed at the thought of Peter having children. Maybe he'd bring them to Harry's 12th birthday or something.

"I just hope none of you get him any crazy gifts. I'd rather you get him nothing, but I've lost that debate to Sirius months ago." Lily sighed.  
Harry's godfather was all too happy to use every chance he got to shower little Harry in presents.  
Marlene wondered if she should mention that she'd overheard Sirius and James talking about a children's broom, but she decided not to.  
She didn't want to spark another banter-filled mock-fight between Lily and James.  
They'd bicker at the lunch on Harry's birthday, with all their friends there to laugh about them until they'd all laugh together.

Late July, it should be warm enough to sit out in the garden of the Potter house.  
Their cat would sit under the table, hoping for some leftovers of Lily's amazing cooking.  
And they'd all be together.

Maybe then, they could have a break for once.  
Just one time.  
Just a few hours.  
In honour of Harry.

Marlene was about to tell Lily how much she was looking forward to the day when the door opened and James stuck his head through the crack.  
His hair was as unruly as ever, his cheeks slightly darker than usual, probably from all the fighting they'd heard through the door.  
But he had a smile on his lips, a smile that widened and deepened when he saw his wife with their son in her arms.

"Hey, Evans, Marls, we're taking a picture of all of us! Come on!"  
With a smile on her lips, Marlene got up and helped Lily out of the armchair, carefully as not to wake Harry.  
"A picture of the Order? Is that really a good idea? What if it falls into the wrong--"  
"Don't worry so much, Marls," James winked at her, "Moody'll take the picture and keep it safe. But this has to be recorded for posteriority!"  
"Okay, okay, okay!" Marlene pushed him through the door.

She tried to not worry.  
She focused on the people in the room.  
Despite the raised voices earlier, everyone had a smile on their lips.  
They stood together closely, in three rows.

When she looked to her right, Marlene could see Lily and James holding hands and quickly glancing at each other and then at a sleeping Harry on a couch behind the camera.  
Right in the middle of the picture was Remus, Sirius behind him, a hand resting lightly on the small of Lupin's back.  
Mary stood on Marlene's left side, Peter was close to James and Lily.

When they all looked forward to face the camera, Marlene pushed her worries away.  
The war couldn't go on forever.  
It couldn't take this from them, their friends and family.

They'd get a break, soon.  
Some time together.  
To be  _ just us _ .  
To be happy, despite of everything.

Harry's birthday.

Just three weeks from now.

**_"That’s Marlene McKinnon, she was killed two weeks after this was taken." ~ Alastor Moody_ **


End file.
